The invention relates to an apparatus for shelling boiled eggs and adapted in a first section to crackle the egg shell by impact action for a certain period and to subsequently transfer the egg to a second section in which the egg shell is cleared from the egg body.
From e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3,603,243 there is known an apparatus of this type, wherein the shelling is effected by cooling a portion of the boiled eggs just inside the shell, following which the eggs are conveyed to the first section comprising a box divided by a spiral passage and provided with inwardly projecting edges. The box revolves and in unison with the egg rolling through the spiral passage the shell crackles by impacts against the projecting edges. The egg is directed from the box to a roller conveyor constituting the second section of the apparatus, in which the egg shells are washed off the boiled egg by water jets.
Said prior apparatus is very complicated and in view of the fact that the spiral passage has a determined length, there is no possibility of adapting the crackle time to the size, age or shell thickness of the eggs, thereby causing a larger or smaller part of the eggs not to be peeled and/or to be damaged during fracturing by scratches or cuts in the albumen or white so that they must be discarded after shelling. In practice, it has turned out that the number of damaged eggs may be reduced by prolonging the boiling time which, however, has the undesired result that the transitional area between yolk and albumen takes a green tint.